Rapper Papoose has been named the head of hip-hop for TuneCore - a leading music catalyst for independent artists. 

"I'm passionate, and I want to see others win," said Papoose. "They say experience is the best teacher."

Papoose, who has been in the rap game for decades, started by selling CD's out of the trunk of his car. Now, he has worldwide acclaim, and is an executive that is focusing his efforts on bringing up the next generation of artists. 

TuneCore is a development partner that allows artists to be their own boss, regarding everything from creative freedom to ownership of their work. 

"I think it's very important we have companies like tune core because they put the artist first," said Papoose. "If you look at the music business... executives and all these other people are living better than the other artists. That's how it was in the past."

The Bed-Stuy native is all too familiar with this experience. After starting off independent, Papoose signed a $1.5 million record deal that he says is his biggest regret, saying that they complained about everything that made him who he was while pushing him around and suppressing his voice. 

TuneCore has found itself as a home to now-household names like Lizzo, Ed Sheeran, and Chance the Rapper. In 2021, Papoose made history by releasing 12 albums with Tune Core, while taking on 100% of the profits.

As the new head of hip-hop for TuneCore, the rapper is looking forward to scouting new and established talent, such as Marlo Smith, an aspiring artist who is under the wing of one of hip-hop's most prominent figures. 

"He's a torch bearer for the hip hop game," said Smith. "Pap is someone who has a lot of music industry experience... him coming on board, even as a mentor, a resource for artists... we don't get a lot of that. Him being the head of hip hop is an exciting moment."